Secrets No One Knows
by xararudolf90
Summary: Gobber used to tell him stories about Old Berk, one where vikings and dragons fight each other all the time. Their ancestors decided to flee the area when the attacks had destroyed the village beyond repair - to somewhere far from the dragons and oddly enough none had showed up for almost 400 hundreds years that the humans have forgotten about them.


"Watch out!" a fist collides to his right cheek, knocked him to the ground with a grunt. He feels liquid drizzles from the corner of his mouth, so he sweps it and sees mixtures of blood and spit. It disgust him, along with the loud cheering from around him - cheerings and mockeries. Great, what could be possibly be worst? For Hiccup this kind of thing is so normal that its like a routine. In the morning he will go to the forge to help with whatever Gobber needs him to until the afternoon. Next, he has to go to vikings combat training via his father or else if he doesn't, well let's just say he will get the limited seat to get teached privately by the chief. His father.

"C'mon, lad. Better for ya to clean up naw." Hiccup let Gobber hoist him up by the hand and dragged him back to the smithy, ignoring the disappointed expression his father seems to wear this past years. At the smithy, the older viking pushes the objects on the table to the ground carelessly to put Hiccup there and left to get bucket with clean cloth and the healing balm he got from Gothi. Hiccup sigh, head hang low, he stares at his skinny form. Stupid boney body of his failed him and his village. He tried alright. He tried to train his arm day by day by lifting heavy things-buckets of water, chicken, sheeps; but it left only pain and with pain, he can't work at the smithy. Hiccup also tried to train his agility and it ends like everyone expected.

The young viking continue to stare at both of his arms with hate before he beat himself, punching his arm with his other arm, ignoring the dull feeling those punches give him. "Oh you s-stupid w-weak useless p-piece of limbs!"

When Gobber got back, the scene that greets him saddened his old heart. Seeing the ten year old lad beating himself for something that he doesn't ask for from Odin stabbed him. Its hard enough as it is when the village's kids tease and beat Hiccup because of his small figure, the young's shyness and his father's constant complain of disappointment didn't help either. Gathering his thoughts, he make himself known, "So, laddie! That was a gre' performance, dontcha thin'?"

Hiccup glares, curling to a ball, "If you mean making everyone laugh at me getting beaten by Snotlout than yeah, sure. Thanks, I guess."

Well Gobber has to admit, even at such a young age, the kid's sense of sarcasm is big. "Of course! Ya too focused on being the toothpick ya are that ya missed seeing Snotface fall to da boar pit. Oh, Thor, I think I migh'of saw his butt!" that, at least earned him a small chuckle. Mentally, Gobber pats his own shoulder to lighten Hiccup's mood.

"I know you're just joking, Gobber." the said person pretended to be offended while pulling a wooden stool to sit in front of Hiccup.

"Ya dare call this mighty teacher of yours a lia'! Ha! After all I did for ya." said the old man while moving his right hand animatedly. The ridiculousness makes Hiccup smile, he uncurls himself and tries to catch Gobber's hand. Once he succeed, he pulls the still fake offended Gobber to sit in front of him. Even though Hiccup is young, he knows when Gobber purposely make snarky comments or lies to make him smile. He is been an apprentice since he was six and way before that, Gobber was the one who baby sat him whenever his father had to go somewhere. Gobber is basically his best and only friend he has as well as a parent figure, an eccentric one at that.

Because of his own thoughts his smile slowly fade from his face, replaced by a somber look that usually adorned it. Gobber notices this, he sigh and quietly work to clean the soon to be wounds and bruises. For a while, nothing but sounds of water and occasionally hisses from Hiccup filled the room. It is not awkward per se, the quietness is needed and welcome between the two. By the time Gobber finished, the last sun lights glittered through the wooden walls and reflect some of the weapons and goods, dancing around the lad.

"There ya go. Good as old eh?" said him as he stands up and nodding to his work. Gobber is no healer but when it comes to scratches and light wounds he is an expert being working with sharp and hot tools all the time. Hiccup slides down the table, wincing a bit while doing so. He wipes off imaginary dusts and look up at his godfather.

"Thanks, Gobber. I'll...better head back soon. Dad is probably, you know?" glancing at the open windows where at the furthest of the village, just beside the mead hall and on the forest's edge is his house. Built on the highest point to overlook the village in case something happen. Hiccup turns his head to Gobber and move to stand in front of him. He hugs the man around the knee since he is only as tall as Gobber's waist.

"Ay, Don't wanna ya old man to chase me at sleep naw do we?" both of them chuckle at the possibility. Hiccup swear if he didn't manage to get back before his father does, the huge viking probably will wreck the place up to valhalla. They part away from each other and with a parting head pat from Gobber, Hiccup makes his way to his home.

* * *

Pushing the heavy door, Hiccup peaks in to see his house. He hopes that his father is not there yet. After another failure, he really don't need his father tearing his ears off with the chit chat. Hiccup wants to rest his body in preparation for tomorrow's tough day. Seeing no signs of his father, with only cold and dark room that greets him, he climbs the stairs in relief. However, that relief is short-lived when he opens his door room and sees his father already sitting on his bed, looking grumpy as ever. This can not be good. He gulps.

"Hiccup..." calls his father, looking up at his only son standing at the doorway covered with new and old bandage, batherred up like a rag doll from those nasty bruises. Quite honestly, Stoick doesn't know what to do with him anymore. Every plan to make his son a viking is either failed or a disaster. It pained him to see Hiccup this young with so many wounds that came from kids punches, not even a real fight, yet his son is so fragile. Hiccup is the next chief for Thor's sake! As the heir and future chief, he bounds to have enemies eager to kill him. What he have to do to protect his son when he is dead later?

Ducking his head down from the intense stare, Hiccup greets his father. "Hi, dad"

Stoick doesn't talk, instead he motioned for Hiccup to sit beside him on the bed. "Son, I-uh. I need to speak to you about something."

"I've decided that you need to start training with Uncle Spitelout-"

"But dad!"

"You've spend too much time at the smithy, son. You need to focus more on the training, it's important for-"

"Dad, please-"

"Hiccup!" shouted Stoick. The kid silenced at once. His father, while not the most patience is not an easy person to get angry either, so for him to shout means serious business. Already, Hiccup doesn't like it.

"Hiccup, son. You need to understand that this is important for you. I have enemies out there! Enemies that're ready to attack at any time. You need to be prepared for this Hiccup." The apparent danger doesn't make him less hating the situation, in fact, it makes him feels more cornered and pressured. Hiccup casts his head sideways, avoiding his father's gaze. He knows he doesn't make any progress with his own way but to train with his dirty mouthed uncle and cousin? The one who always bullies him any chance he got? He sigh, holding his emotion and tears at bay since crying its a show of weakness- not a viking at all. Besides, it is all he can do after he was old enough to join the kids training.

Hiccup doesn't answer when his father said goodnight to him, he sit still until he heard his father's snores for quite some time, then he runs out to the forest. The tears that he have been holding pour down his freckled face and fly through the winds. He doesn't know where to go, Hiccup just let his heart guides him to wherever it wants to.

The thick canopy of the forest blocked the moon's light as he can only sees the outline of trees and boulders, that being said, he missed the large rotting log in front of him. Hiccup fell and rolls down a slope to an area where the canopy is not too thick and lights shine enough for him to see the forest floor. Hiccup hold his head with his arms, "Ouch..."

He looks around and doesn't recognize the part of the forest. He must be on the up north of the island since he mostly played at the south part. The ground is covered with fallen leaf and moss, pilling and scattering around him, untouched by humans. It is rather odd, mysterious and yet, beautiful at the same time. The moon makes things around him look blue and then the yellow glowing bugs are so pretty to him. Never before had he seen something like this.

One of the bugs lands on his nose, tickling and makes him giggle. It flies away from him, heading straight. Curious and still happy, Hiccup follows the bug, deeper to the forest. He crawls, climbs and jumps from obstacle to another, forgetting the recent source of his bad mood. Hiccup is squatting on a medium sized boulder with both hands caging the yellow bug. He was about to close and captures it when a loud crash and weird shriek sounds from far in front of him.

Startled, he falls and landed on a bundle of moist moss. Quickly, he goes to where he thought is the source of the crash. Hiccup arrives upon a cove, he is currently standing between huge stones with an arch, probably the entrance to the cove. Inside, there is a small lake with clear water, even in the darkness he can see shadows of fishes swimming there; couples of boulders here and there, trees, nothing interesting really.

The site is so mesmerizing he decides its going to be his secret place when a big sized lump moves at the farest part of the cove. What he thought was a boulder is moving in the shadows along side of the cove. His small heart beats faster as the thing moves to the lake and almost stop when a pair of lime green eyes stare right back to him.

Hiccup gasps and lost his hold on the tree's root, he fall down.

A sickening crack and a loud yell resonance across the cove. Hiccup can only feels pain. He can not describe how much it hurts besides the waterfall his eyes making. All over his body is on fire, especially his legs and his right arm. Or is it left? The pain is that great he can not even open his eyes to see the damage. He lays down there and whimpers.

Hiccup doesn't notice the hovering black figure beside him nor he noticed when the thing starts to chant phrases. The last thing he sees from his blurry vision is a pair of green eyes.

* * *

He is surrounded by warmth. Something cocooned him like a blanket, only heavier and somewhat hard but soft at the same time. There is a growl and a bust of hot air from on top of him, which is weird since its the time of fall already and it is impossible because Berk is always cold. Softly, he blinks open his eyes only to see darkness. Hiccup looks up and down and it is all dark. He thought that it is still night time, however, when he tried to sits up, his head hit something. Now, he is freaking out.

There is no way that he can touch the sky right? Only gods can do that. Laying back down, he lifts both of his arms to reach the sky and touch it. The sky is as long as his arm is and the surface is warm and smooth. Hiccup must have gone crazy - or dead. He continues to rub the sky and it chooses to come nearer. Yup, definitely dead.

He begins to hyperventilating, his breath quickens, his heart beats faster - then it him. The event of previous night; his failure at training, smithy with Gobber, the talk with his father and - oh Odin above, the fall and those eyes! He never sits up that fast before. He regrets it right after, though. One of his arms and both of his legs are hurting badly. He whimpers again and the 'sky' is moving, replaced by a real blue morning sky.

Still whimpering, now Hiccup is more aware of his surrounding. He is still at the cove and his left low arm is covered with water like bulb. Inside he can see the middle part is swollen red, same goes to both of his legs. Even though he is sitting with both of his legs touching the ground, the water bulb doesn't popped. It hurts when he tries to moves his leg but his curiosity is answered when the bulb is intact.

Hiccup is too lost in his world that he surprised when the same hot air blew pass him from behind. He froze as a chill run down his small injured body. Slow as a slug, he turns his body and is scared to his wits by the sight in front of him. Right a feet away, in front of his nose, is beast black as night studying him with the same lime green eyes from last night.

The beast's head is so big Hiccup sure it is bigger than his father's belly and that is saying a lot. The head, along with other body part is consist of scales, like the one he saw from a grass snake he found behind a rock and a mixture of bumpy surfaces on a toad on some places. Those eyes though, are what Hiccup mesmerized the most. The size of one is probably as big as an adult's palm and the slitted pupils don't radiate malice despite its scary appearance.

Hiccup tried to swallow the rock inside his throat as the beast gets closer to him. It lowers its head to Hiccup's injured arm and huffed, staring up at him. Seeing as there is no respond from the human, the beast looks down again to blow hot air from its nose on his injuries. The water bulbs changes color from translucent to red and he can feel the pain reduced to dull ache and gradually disappeared.

His eyes got wider with the realization. Hiccup is stunned as the beast huffed one more time as if it is satisfied with the result, it withdraws back a few feet and walks to the lake, drinking.

Still stunned, Hiccup find himself observing the beast's features. On the upper side of its head there are a pair of ear looking thing with a smaller pair between them, there are also another two pair by either side of its face. It has thick long neck, four legs, a set of giant wings and a long tail with fins. For the love of Odin, Hiccup doesn't trust his own eyes. Loki must have tricked him to seeing things but from what he remembers of Gobber's stories, the features this thing has matched the features of a dragon. Could it be?

Hiccup sits there pondering the facts and tries to convince himself that his not dreaming until it is almost late afternoon and his stomach made itself known by making the loudest noise ever. It was really loud that it woke what Hiccup assume is a 'dragon'. The dragon is sleeping far from him, near the lake. For a moment, Hiccup thinks that the dragon is cute; sleepily opens his eyes and reveal big black pupils before it slitted again at the sight of him.

His stomach just have to make itself known again by making the noise. He pressed it his hand, his stomach starts to hurt because the last time he ate is yesterday's breakfast. There is a confused croon from the dragon, looking up he sees the beast tilting its head at him. Growling, the dragon stand on its four legs and goes to the lake. It perches at the bank while fishing. The black beast managed to fished out six big trouts. Bigger than the ones the village's fisherman ever caught.

The dragon bites on of the trouts by its tail and put it in front of him. Next, the dragon blow another hot air to the water bulbs and nodding once to itself before trotting back to its original spot, eating his catch quietly.

Hiccup is more than amazed. He is touched. Hiccup never get treated like this, well except Gobber but it besides the point. Just now, the said legendary and ferocious dragon that supposed to kill all the time is treating his injuries and even feeding him food - raw; but yeah. Hiccup stares at the fish with the size of almost his entire body. He crawls to it since the fish is too heavy for him to pull.

Its raw, obviously and he never tried to eat raw fish before, never cooked one too. So, how is he supposed to eat this? Should he just dig his hands and eat it? Hiccup was searching a rock to help him cut the fish while sitting and suddenly there is a swoosh of something. The fish is on fire and the one who responsible for it is sleeping.

Either Hiccup imagined all of this in his head or he got hallucinated from the breakfast he ate but he is in denial that a mythical beast from his ancestor story that supposedly be nothing that brings death and destruction is currently nursing him back to health.


End file.
